WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- In the third quarter, Michael Jordan
looked like his old self in the third quarter. In the fourth
quarter, he just looked old.

Ray Allen scored nine of his 22 points in the final period as
the Milwaukee Bucks rebounded from their first loss of the
season with a 107-98 victory over Jordan and the Washington
Wizards.

Milwaukee dominated the second quarter en route to a 58-41
halftime lead. The 38-year-old Jordan scored 16 points in the
third as the Wizards pulled within 84-78 entering the final
period.

Washington scored the first six points of the fourth to tie it
before Allen sparked a 7-0 run with a three-point play that gave
the Bucks the lead for good, 87-84, with 9:07 to go.

"I thought they would come back on us, but they caught us a
little faster than I thought they would," Bucks coach George
Karl. "We needed to be challenged like that. Letting them tie us
up on the road, then getting back in control of the game was
good."

Jordan made just 2-of-6 shots and commited three turnovers in
the final 12 minutes as the Wizards lost their fifth straight
game and fell to 1-3 at the MCI Center.

"The second quarter puts us in so much of a deficit," Jordan
said. "We spend so much energy trying to get back into the game
that down the stretch, we are tired."

The Bucks shot 49 percent (35-of-71) and drained 10-of-21 shots
from the arc to remain undefeated in three road games this year.
Milwaukee has won nine of its last 12 meetings with Washington.

Tim Thomas scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and nailed both
his 3-pointers. Rafer Alston chipped in 10 points and also was
one of six Bucks to make a 3-pointer.

"I don't think I've ever played or coached against a team that
can come at you so many different ways," Washington coach Doug
Collins said. "Their shooting is fabulous."

Jordan finished with 31 points -- one shy of his season high --
on 12-of-24 shooting. It marked the first time this season that
the 10-time scoring champion shot 50 percent.

Washington's Christian Laettner nearly had a triple-double with
12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Popeye Jones tied a
season high with 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the
bench.

"Doug's been telling me all year to shoot the ball," said Jones,
who made 5-of-5 shots. "But I haven't felt comfortable since the
preseason. Hopefully, I can build on that and become a threat
because it allowed Michael to get some more open shots."

Both teams shot better than 60 percent in the first quarter, but
it was the Wizards that cooled off first.

Milwaukee scored the first 12 points of the second quarter to
take a 41-29 lead. Washington missed its first six shots of the
period before Tyronn Lue drained a jumper with 5:56 to go.

The Wizards made just 6-of-20 shots in the quarter and committed
seven turnovers, leading to 14 points for the Bucks.

Michael Redd scored nine of his 11 points in the period as
Milwaukee outscored Washington, 29-12, to build a 17-point
halftime cushion.

"After we get down so much in the second quarter we get
discombobulated on defense," Jordan said. "Trying to get back in
the game, we lose our continuity on offense."

Ervin Johnson had 10 rebounds and three blocks as Milwaukee
played without forward Jason Caffey, who was suspended by the
team for missing Tuesday's flight and Wednesday's shootaround.

"I thought Ervin was our most valuable player," Karl said. "He
made some big blocks, grabbed some big rebounds and kept us
together with his intensity."

"As the guys off the bench, we always have to give the team a
lift," said Johnson, who scored seven points. "We're winning,
that's the good thing, but the bad thing is the way we're
winning. We have to focus for 48 minutes. We can't let teams
back into games."